Juveniles found delinquent in Mount Pocono riot case

Two Mount Pocono 15-year-olds were found delinquent in juvenile court today of rioting, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct in connection with the July 21 Mount Pocono incident.

Two Mount Pocono 15-year-olds were found delinquent in juvenile court today of rioting, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct in connection with the July 21 Mount Pocono incident.

Isaiah Sommerville and Tywain Preston will be back in court Sept. 30. Sommerville was found delinquent also of escape from police custody.

The judge said she found the police officers' testimony at Monday's adjudication hearing to be "consistent and credible," but could not say the same for the testimony provided by Preston, Sommerville and other defense witnesses.

Sommerville and Preston have been released from a Jim Thorpe juvenile detention facility to their families' custody, but are under electronic monitoring.

The incident occurred after 11 p.m. on July 21 in Mount Pocono, shortly after the nearby Pocono Mountain Volunteer Firefighters Carnival had closed.

Police said they tried to arrest Sommerville for disorderly conduct and that a group of people he was with tried to interfere with the arrest. Sommerville led police on a brief foot chase before being taken into custody. Police said Preston was one of the people who tried to interfere with Sommerville's arrest.

Defense witnesses said someone in the group mocked police in a clownish voice, causing some laughter in the group, when police first approached and asked everyone to disperse. Defense witnesses said no one in the group was being disorderly, that police became aggressive with Sommerville and that no one in the group tried to interfere with any arrests.

Three adults who also were arrested are awaiting future appearances in county adult court.